Assam flood: Death toll rises to 24, nearly 7.19 lakh people affected

Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 23 (ANI): As many as six more persons died in Assam due to the flood, taking the overall death toll to 24, according to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Monday.
Of the six new deaths, four were reported from Nagaon and one each from Hojai and Cachar districts.
Of the 24 deaths, 19 died in floods and five in landslides in different districts.
Meanwhile, over 7.19 lakh people have been affected in 22 of the state's 34 districts.
An ASDMA release, a total of 7,19,425 people, including 1,41,050, children, of 2,095 villages in 22 districts have been affected.
It said that a total of 26,489 stranded people have been evacuated with the help of disaster response forces and volunteers. In all, 624 relief camps and 729 relief distribution centres have been opened in all the affected areas.
A total of 1,32,717 people are staying in the relief camps. Over 1,30,596.12 hectares of crops have been affected.
The Army, Assam Rifles, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Civil Defence, Paramilitary forces, Indian Airforce, along with the district administrations, have been helping the district administration in the safe evacuation of people from affected areas.
According to the ASDMA release, so far, 25 MT of essential Commodities have been airdropped with the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Dima Hasao.
It said that four team of NDRF with 20 boats have been deployed in Cachar, Hojai, Nagaon and Dima-Has.
A team of specialists from NESAC/ISRO is already doing rapid damage assessment in Dima Hasao using drones and satellite data to inform the post-disaster need assessment later.
Assam Government has allotted additional Rs 2 crores each to Cachar and Dima Hasao districts for releasing relief to the affected people. Hojai district has released an additional budget of Rs 3 crore for providing gratuitous relief to flood-affected people.
Meanwhile, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials from Dima-Hasao informed that the road connectivity from Jatinga to Retzawl village was temporarily restored. (ANI)